“Mom, Miss said a bad word, I heard it!”
The young woman nodded, “She didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
Not wanting to argue with a child, she shook her head.
The woman seated Grape and said, “Are you a fan of Malakai?”
Aliyah quickly replied, “Yes… I flew four hours just to watch him compete. He rarely streams because of his temper, so there are few chances to see him play. I wanted to see him in action with my own eyes.”
The woman understood, picturing the scene in her mind.
“Another Malakai fangirl. Doesn’t even know if she’s got diamond rank. This is esports, not a fan meet,” a light male voice drifted from the row in front, two men whispering together.
Aliyah wanted to retort but held back because of the child.
The match was about to start.
The two teams took the stage, standing on either side of the glittering trophy as the announcer introduced each player’s achievements.
The camera focused on a young boy’s face, and the fans’ cheers threatened to blow the roof off the venue.
“He looks even better in person!”
The child in the woman’s arms suddenly shouted, “It’s Malakai!”
The woman responded with a nod.
The match officially began.
Both teams made their first moves.
The woman holding the child calmly said, “ST is going to pick an assassin mage.”
Before Aliyah could react, ST indeed locked in an assassin mage.
“They’re going to ban the jungler next. If they don’t, ST will take it.”
Aliyah understood the game but was surprised that a child’s mother did too. She asked, “Do you play this game too?”
Grape answered first, “Miss, my mom is a pro!”
The woman gently covered Grape’s mouth, smiling faintly, “I have some experience.”
“If this goes to late game, they’ll win for sure. Their strategy will crush them.”
“But they have strong initiation.”
“Everyone has mobility skills; how will they catch anyone?”
The game unfolded just as the woman predicted. The heavy lineup won the first match.
Aliyah was amazed, “You’re really good.”
“No.”
The announcer’s voice echoed through the venue, “Let’s congratulate ST!”
The two guys in front kept glancing back, hesitant before asking the woman, “Miss, you must be at least 2000 points in the game?”
The young woman raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t it just common sense? You guys can’t figure this out?”
They didn’t immediately realize why she was being rude.
“… Why are you insulting us?”
She kicked their seats nonchalantly, “You called me a fangirl so easily; what’s wrong with calling you names? Stupid dogs, did I get it wrong?”
“You!”
Aliyah was stunned; she never expected this woman to be even better at retorting than herself, especially in front of a child…
During the intermission, many people looked their way. The surrounding people had heard what those two men said earlier. Now, seeing the confident and bold woman holding a child, they found her both cool and beautiful.
This time, it was the two men who blushed.
Aliyah gave her a grateful look and whispered, “Thank you for standing up for me.”
The woman smiled slightly.
She didn’t speak again after that. The little girl in her arms fell asleep, and she watched her sleep with eyes full of love.
She sat quietly amidst the excited crowd, looking like an outsider.
Aliyah curiously asked, “Aren’t you going to analyze anymore? I’m so nervous.”
She glanced at the stage and said, “Just trust the person you like.”